LifeSMART: Inspiration

"Meditation brings wisdom; lack of mediation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom." – Buddha

Meditation dates back several hundreds of years, and its benefits for your mind, body, and spirit are enormous. Tests and studies that monitor brain waves of people during meditation have shown that you achieve deep relaxation and increased oxygen intake during meditation. It even raises your pain tolerance!

In addition, meditation can lower your blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol. Studies have also shown that when you practice meditation, you may have lower levels of cortisol and free radicals, which reduces stress and slows the aging process.

Meditation Styles, Types, and Methods

There are a number of different ways you can meditate, and meditation is different for each person. It is a truly personal experience, so finding the right type of meditation for you may take a bit of time and practice, but the benefits are certainly worth the effort.

While there are various types, don't let that overwhelm you. Start with something simple. Dedicate yourself to learning the technique, and see the benefits in your life. If one type of meditation isn't right for you, try another one.

Three of the most common meditation types are Yoga, Mantra, and Mindfulness Meditation. Although each of these types are unique, there are also similarities.

Yoga Meditation

•Yoga is wildly popular because it relaxes both the body and mind. It's a form of exercise that incorporates meditation. Meditation is one of the five principles of yoga, with the other four being diet, exercise, relaxation, and breathing.

•The goal in yoga meditation is to focus on one point to achieve self-realization.

Mantra Meditation

•Mantras are phrases or words that you repeat. When you think of those monks meditating, you might imagine them saying, "Ommmm." This is their mantra. Yours can be that simple or you may opt for something more complex. You can say it out loud or silently while you meditate.

•Those who practice Mantra Meditation believe in the power of words.

Mindfulness Meditation

•Buddhists call this type of meditation "insightful or vipassana meditation." It is insightful because you become acutely aware of all that is happening, both physically around you and inside your mind. You become aware of all these things without judgment.

•You usually start by concentrating on your breathing and then progress to the thoughts and ideas bouncing around in your mind.

In order to receive the most benefits from your meditation, you should practice it on a daily basis. The amount of time you spend meditating will be a personal choice. Some people realize benefits in 10 minutes, while it takes others at least 30 minutes.

When learning the basics of the type you've chosen, be prepared to spend more time in meditation. It takes time to learn how to clear your mind and become totally relaxed.

If you're unsure which type of meditation is right for you, seek the guidance of a qualified coach or instructor.

Once you practice meditation, you'll develop preferences customized for your own mind and body. Find your balance and create your own meditation style if that's what works best for you.

Once you make the conscious decision to meditate, you'll find new peace, comfort, and better health in your life as a result. Get started today!

Have you ever received a card and felt its sentiments shake you to the core? Have the words in a book ever reached out to tug at your heartstrings and fill you with inspiration?

Inspirational quotes can infuse you with the motivation to take action toward your goals and live the life you desire.

You can use inspirational quotes on a daily basis to help you get up and get going in the morning, face your boss during a meeting, and even find the motivation to get physically active.

The more often you call upon motivational quotes, the more likely you will break through mental and emotional barriers that hold you hostage.

There are plenty of awe-inspiring quotes you can call on when you need a pick-me-up. Here are ten inspirational quotes to spark your passion and bring you motivation:

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones that you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. - Mark Twain
** I put this one in my daughter's graduation album a few years ago.

Well done is better than well said. - Benjamin Franklin

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. - T.S. Elliot

Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. - Buddha

People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily. - Zig Ziglar

Begin with the ending in mind. - Stephen Covey

If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place. - Nora Roberts

Experience is not what happens to a man, it is what a man does with what happens to him. - Aldous Leonard Huxley

Don't go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

You can use these quotes in your everyday life to help keep you motivated and inspired at every turn. You will find the greatest benefit if you deeply internalize the meaning behind these words sparking you into action. After all, words are nothing without action!

You will also want to constantly re-fuel your thirst for motivation by using the power of visualization. For example, you can use desktop wallpapers with quotes and sayings, or put them in a frame on your desk, to give yourself the visual stimulation and motivation you need to overcome any obstacle on your path.

With just a quick glance, you can get through a difficult day by having a positive image coupled with an inspiring quote.

When you embrace the beauty and joys of both motivational quotes and positive imagery, you'll not only feel better, but you'll be more productive too!

I'm on vacation this week, and one of the things I have been looking forward to doing is spending some quality time with my husband.

Normally, it's hard for us to connect because he works at night, and I work during the day. With the household responsibilities and an active teenager (who can't drive yet), we don't have a lot of free time.

Does this sound familiar?

We can make a lot of excuses for not making/finding time for romance, but the truth is we can put a little romance in our day...EVERY DAY!

When we think "romance," we assume that means something like a candlelit dinner, soft music, the little black dress, and champagne. But that's at the far end of the romance spectrum, where special occasions reign--occasions that don't come along very often. About as often as we wear that little black dress.

But romance shouldn't be an occasional thing. It should be part of your daily diet. Now, I know you're already thinking again, "But who's got time?"

YOU DO! And I'll tell you how.

Let's look at the ordinary, everyday variety of romance, otherwise known as "affection." Yeah, I've got your attention now, don't I? Because affection is easy, affection is doable. As a matter of fact, you may already make affection a part of your daily routine.

If not, here are the first steps to put a dash of romance into your every day--hold hands, kiss, hug, compliment, write a note, give a gift, and of course, say "I love you."

These may seem pretty basic and you might be thinking there are a million more ways to be romantic, and you're right!

So tell me, what are your easy, every day strategies for romance?

Ask anyone in a committed long-term union for the secret of their success. Almost always, one of the top three reasons cited is the ability to laugh together. No matter how big the problems, or how many the obstacles, they will be most effectively approached with a sense of humor and the teamwork that emerges from shared laughter and a mutually positive outlook.

So this week, put the fun back in your relationship with the following suggestions:

Play hooky. Both of you call in sick to work (or take a vacation day to avoid violating your workplace sick day abuse policy) and then go hang out at the mall like truant high school sophomores. Spend some time coming up with totally outrageous excuses that you know you will never be able to deliver with a straight face.

Take a class together. Learn a new language and only communicate in that language over dinner one evening. Take a cooking class. Cook the recipe together and then feed each other. Or take an art class and finger-paint each others' portraits.

Flirt. Pretend you've just met and try out some cheesy pick up lines on your partner for a laugh.

Deliberately establishing "recess" periods gives us a break from the daily grind. Just as children don't learn well if they don't have a chance to go out and play, adults need a recess too.

It not only allows us to return to work re-energized and renewed, but most importantly, the play time with our partner intensifies our relationship and can keep our affection green and growing through the years ahead.

Do you work from home like me and find yourself more often than not tapping away at your computer in your pajamas...all day long!

You figure why bother getting dressed? That's one of the perks of working at home, right? You get to wear whatever you want.

Well, I've noticed something interesting. The days that I stay in my jammies all day, I tend to get less done. I feel laid back, no sense of urgency or commitment. It seems the casualness of my attire bleeds over into my work ethic for the day.

But on the days that I HAVE to get dressed because of an early morning appointment, I find that when I sit down to work afterward, I get a lot more accomplished. It's like my body thinks if it's all dressed up, then I must mean business. So I seem to be more focused, more efficient, even more ambitious. More professional, maybe?

Today, I really want to accomplish several things, so I decided to get out of the pajamas and into something a little more "office appropriate." (In my office, we're allowed to wear jeans I also fixed my hair and put on makeup.

And you know what? Already this morning, I've gotten my blog posts written for the week, participated in an hour-long networking teleseminar, processed all my email, and sketched out a marketing funnel for my next coaching venture.

I feel much better about myself and my abilities. And, even though I slept poorly last night and would appreciate a good nap, I feel less inclined to crawl back into bed.

So, dress the part and the mindset will follow.

A few years ago on a lazy afternoon, I was lounging in the sun, reading one of my favorite magazines and came upon one of those quizzes. You know the ones, those questionnaires that supposedly teach you something about yourself that you didn’t already know, like “Are You a Clean Freak or Comfortably Cluttered?” As if the stacks of junk in every nook and cranny of your house didn’t already have you guessing that you had an aversion to cleanliness.

I know these quizzes are meant to be just for fun, because really, how could you not already know that you were a control freak, light sleeper, preferred pastries to muffins, etc.? And just how insightful can a 10-question quiz in a popular women’s magazine be, anyway?

The particular quiz I was taking that afternoon was cleverly crafted to rate your happiness level, and since I was pretty darn content in my life, if not downright joyful, I began taking this one with a smug smile on my face.

I knew I would rate at the top of the chart since I had recently gotten engaged to undoubtedly the most handsome man alive; had two gorgeous, happy children; and had just bought a new home. Seriously, how could I not ace this quiz?

And then I read question Number 13. (I’m not joking! It really was question number 13! That should have been a clue, huh?) The question that changed everything. The question that wiped that smirky smugness right off my face and had me questioning just how truly happy I was.

What was the question, you ask? Nothing more than, “What did you think you would be doing at your age?”

I was momentarily nonplussed.

What DID I think I would be doing at my age?

I really had no clue what I thought I would be doing, but I was beyond certain that I didn’t dream of being a secretary, my current job. No disrespect for the administrative profession. I was a member for nearly eight years.

But I wondered how I had gotten here? I looked back over the last few years and realized that I had landed in my present job as a result of life not going according to plan.

But if life HAD gone according to plan, I wondered what I would be doing now. If I had not gotten divorced, if the marriage had been stronger, if I had been happy in that relationship, if our family budget had been high enough to allow me to stay home with the kids…I think I would have been very content as a stay-at-home mom.

But as the kids got older, would I have needed something more to fill my time? Would I have taken up old hobbies or learned something new? Or even sought employment? I know I would have needed something to make me feel useful, like I was contributing. And then I realized…

I probably would have opened my own small business, most likely a solo operation, but an operation none the less.

As I came to this realization, I felt like something opened up in me, something that had been tight, squeezed, constricted for a long time. Like something finally fell into place. And I started to get excited. At that point, I knew I had to get out of my current job. And this is how my entrepreneurial journey began.

So if your life seems to be perfect in every respect, but you’re still feeling discontent, ask yourself, “If I was financially set for the rest of my life, I owned everything I’ve ever wanted, and I had the perfect relationship, what would I like to do with my time and resources that is meaningful?”

Living your life with intense purpose renews your passion for life and enables you to be the best you can be. It strengthens your self-confidence and, best of all, brings self-fulfillment. Find your purpose today, and give it all you've got!

To learn how you can discover your true path, visit LifeSMART Coaching.